Santiago de Compostella

We have been exploring the city even though it is very wet. Peter has done a lot of souvenir shopping but I have a couple more months travel so I am wary of getting too many presents that I have to cart around. I have been to collect the parcels of clothes I forwarded to Santiago. In the process of finding thus we found the market, other uni versify faculties, squares and plazas and finally practically outside I give up and ring Ivar who tells me to look up! I had walked right past the door. This has been a great service but un fortunately all the extra clothes are for hot weather and it is cold still here. The jeans at least will be useful.

On our way back to the flat we bump into Franwyn from Gippsland who is now on her own.  Almuth has continued on to Finisterre to make up the kilometres she missed going to Madrid for her Chinese Visa, and Jeanie has flown to Barcelona on her way home to Australia.  We invite her to join us in a visit to Gaias, City of Culture a fascinating set of buildings on the top of Mount Gaias a hill overlooking Santiago. It was designed to link Contemporary Galicia with the world and a place for programs of all types, art, concerts, education. Entrepreneurship and the cultural industry are the priority.  Unfortunately it has not been completed due to the collapse of the EU funding and the fact it cost four times the budget planned. We visited an art exhibition on the theme of water. It was really interesting covering water represented in art, earth, engineering, the home and space.  They had Australian dot paintings that were of waterholes and billabongs etc but the explanation was about Albert Namatjara and not appropriate.  We were impressed by the building but it left us wondering. It would be perfect for skateboarding as it mimics the shape of the mountain and you could practically walk onto the roof. 

One of the sculptures. It was old text books!

When we left there was a group of school kids all clustered at the top of one of the slopes like birds. On our walk back down we came across this park area with flourishing community gardens and three mazes made from camellia bushes which we proceeded to wend our way through.

We were all starving now and in search of a vegetarian restaurant that was supposed to open at 7 pm but wasn't when we arrived. We went off looking for a bar to kill time or look for an alternative. It started to pour heavily so we retreated inside. Then Karen saw a light go on outside the restaurant; It was now 7:45 pm. So back we went. Punctual opening isn't a common practice and as most Spanish eat at 9 onwards early eating is seen as a bit barbaric anyway. The food was worth the wait and I had razor clams and salad, while all the others had vegetarian. It was a very successful day.